Knights End

by Brad Clark

  “Yes.”

  “And it has to do with the Ark of Life and Elves.” He did not need to force himself to be patient, for he could feel the struggle that Elissa was feeling within. She would say what she needed to say but in her own time. With a few prodding words, though, maybe he could get her to speak freely more quickly.

  “Yes.”

  “It is not good.”

  She looked up at him and forced herself to look into his eyes. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her body was sweating, despite the chill in the air. She gave a quick and sharp shake to her head.

  King Illichian did not look away, which forced Elissa to continue to hold his gaze. “The Ark of Life is a threat, and the only solution is to destroy it.”

  “Yes,” was all that Elissa could manage to say before her throat became dry. She tried to swallow some saliva so she could say more, but her mouth was dry and parched.

  “Do not be afraid to speak your mind now, or in front of all our people. What must be said must be said, and what must be done, must be done.”

  She cleared her throat to get her words out. In a volume just above a whisper, she croaked out, “Then you are okay with what must be done? The ramifications…”

  “Could be disastrous,” he finished for her. “I know. I know what the Ark of Life is. It is not just an artifact created by the One God to give more power to Human mages. It is the one thread that holds the entire Web of Magic together. Pull it out, and the Web of Magic will collapse forever separating the Deceiver from ever gaining a physical foothold in our world.”

  “But are Elves not tied directly to the Web? What happens if it goes away?”

  It was King Illichian’s turn to shake his head. “We cannot know. Maybe we’ll all die an agonizing and painful death. Maybe it’ll be instant. Maybe we’ll not even know it’s gone. I have been putting off discussing the issue until we had a moment to breathe and enjoy our victory. It seems that moment is gone, and we should call a meeting of the war council.”

  “I think it should be more than just us.”

  King Illichian took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes. It should be as many of us as possible, and as soon as possible. We will pass the word. One hour from now in the castle’s main hall.”

  “Tonight?”

  “You and Conner cannot be the only ones to have concerns about what will happen if the Ark of Life is destroyed. If you two know, then how many others know? Gossip and rumors will spread through the night and who knows what might happen if someone decides to make a rash decision. If someone believes that Hargon will not give up the Ark, then they might try and take it from him by force. We have just won a war against our enemies. We cannot have one start among our allies.”

  With a grunt, King Illichian stood. “One hour. I will pass the word among the Elves.”

  “Conner and I will do so among the rest.”

  ***

  “Stop moving!” Hallendrielle snapped.

  Glaerion was holding up his bloodstained tunic so that she could clean the deep wound across his ribs. He looked down at his bare skin and winced.

  “You’re purposely trying to make it hurt worse!”

  Hallendirelle pursed her lips and shook her head. “You are a baby.”

  Glaerion’s eyes narrowed, and he bared his teeth at her. “It didn’t hurt until you started messing with it.”

  “It needs to be cleaned. I can see mud in it. If it closed up dirty like this, you would get an infection and likely die.”

  “You’re pulling at my skin!” he cried out.

  She laughed. “That time, yes!”

  “Well, stop it!”

  She continued to laugh. “Stop fidgeting, and maybe I can get it cleaned up.”

  “I had already dressed the wound!”

  “You dressed it with dirty, torn rags. It stopped the bleeding, but it left your wound dirty. Now shut up and let me fix you up!”

  He turned his head away as she used a clean rag to wipe away a clump of dried blood and dirt that was stuck in the wound. It started bleeding again, which she knew was good. The blood would help remove any remnants of dirt left in the wound. After she was sure that the wound had bled enough, she pulled out a needle and thread.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “You know what it is.”

  “Hargon can heal me!”

  “Hargon is busy taking care of the last of the Deceiver’s army, and this wound isn’t that serious.”

  Glaerion looked down at the ground, which was now stained with his blood. “This isn’t serious? Do you see all this blood?”

  Hallendrielle lifted an eyebrow and replied, “A serious wound is when you’re missing a limb. Or your head. Now shut up and let me work.”

  Glaerion leaned back against the cold rock of the cavern wall and closed his eyes. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to relax. Before he had met Conner and Elissa, he had been existing, but not living. Their lives were peaceful but without purpose. Then they came and interrupted that peace and gave him purpose. He became alive, living to fight for his world. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much it had taken out of him. His body was drained, and he felt like he could sleep for days. Never again would he just exist. He would live for a purpose. Although he wasn’t sure what that purpose was, he knew he would find it. In the meantime, though, they still had much work to do. There were still enemy soldiers trying to escape. They would need to be hunted down. Cities would need to be rebuilt. Eventually, a contingent of Elves would need to find those that had chosen not to join in their fight. There was going to be some bad blood, but they were still their brothers and sisters, and they would need to find a way to reconcile.

  He awoke with a start as a sharp pain struck his side.

  “You were snoring,” Hallendrielle said.

  “So, you poked me harder?” Glaerion growled.

  “That was the last stitch.”

  He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down.

  “Easy,” she said. “You will be sore for a few days. You’ll need to take it easy.”

  He looked down at his side. Almost two dozen stitches were neatly lined up along his ribs, sealing the wound.

  “I hadn’t realized how big it was. I thought you said it wasn’t serious.”

  She smiled at him. His heart, as always, melted at the smile. “You think I was going to tell you it was serious? I was tired of hearing you whine, so I was trying to get you to not worry about it.”

  “So, you lied to me?”

  Her smiled widened. “Lie is such a harsh word.” She almost laughed again at the sour look on his face, but then she remembered that King Illichian had visited her while she was stitching him up and he was sleeping. “There is a big meeting about to happen.”

  “Oh? What kind of meeting?”

  “The kind where everyone will be there.”

  “When?”

  “As soon as I can get you there.”

  “Then help me up.” He turned over so that he was on all fours, and then she helped him to his feet.

  “You okay?” she asked, sensing his discomfort.

  He gently touched his side. “I’ll be fine.”

  “That means you’re in pain. Admit it.”

  His lips started to curl into a smile. “Never. Now let’s go see what this meeting is all about.”

  ***

  Darkness had come to Karmon when Nikki stepped through the wide double doors that led from the castle’s stables. She looked up into the sky to see infinite darkness and twinkling stars that dotted the heavens. On the far horizon, the moon shone brightly enough that she could have walked across the courtyard even if the courtyard torches had not been lit. A cool breeze sent a chill through the air giving a reminder that spring had not yet come. The harshest of the winter days were past, but warm summer nights were still months away. A slight pungent scent tickled her nose, telling her that if it took until those summer nights to clean up the dead bodies,
the stench of death would be oppressive.

  Gently, she pulled the doors shut. Inside, she already heard the soft snoring of some of her warriors, who had fallen to sleep the moment their heads hit dry straw. Although they had been exhausted from their march and battle, the Sak’Hurai cleaned the stables and laid down fresh straw. It was the last of the castle’s straw, but with all the Karmon warhorses having given their lives to the battle, there would be no need for more. She felt a twinge of jealousy at not being able to get a good night’s sleep. It might be hours before she could lay her head down, but at least she had been fed a hot meal. That would keep her going for a while longer.

  She stifled a yawn as someone stepped from the shadows. She tried to hide the smile that fell across her lips when she saw Aeneas limp towards her.

  “You do not look well,” she said.

  He grinned, and his eyes sparkled in the torchlight. “You look great, too.”

  “You are in pain.”

  He shrugged and continued to limp until he was standing right next to her. “The Karmons cleaned my wounds and gave me fresh bandages. I will be fine.”

  “You should see Hargon. He is in the cavern healing those that were wounded in battle.”

  He shrugged again. “Maybe I deserve to be like this.”

  “What? You are in pain! No one deserves to be in pain.”

  He turned his head to look at the wall that encircled the castle. “Do you know what’s just outside the walls? Bargoroth. Thousands of them are camped right outside these walls. Barbarians. Wild men of the north. We’ve called them many things, and we’ve tried to kill them for twenty years. I’ve tried to kill them for twenty years. They did not deserve it. None of them deserved to die at the hands of our crossbows or shortswords.” He held up his hands, which were still bandaged from being nailed to a cross of wood. “And this is my punishment for that. Maybe I’m the last Taran left alive, so I should be reminded of my people murdering them.”

  “Were you not ordered by your commanders to fight them?”

  “That doesn’t make it right.”

  “You cannot blame yourself for what others did.”

  “No, I cannot. But I can blame myself for doing what I knew was wrong. I knew that our war with them was wrong, but I never said anything. I just did my job and tried to keep moving up through the ranks so that someday I would have command of an entire army. And then, before I was too old, I could retire to a small countryside estate and live the last days of my life in luxurious peace.”

  “Fishing on your small lake?”

  Aeneas’s mood softened, and he smiled. “Right. Spending my days fishing.”

  “You are too hard on yourself. Let Hargon heal you.”

  Aeneas grunted. “He’s as much to blame as I am! He didn’t start the war, but he kept it going. His arrogance and greed killed many people.”

  “Many more than you can imagine.”

  The voice came from the shadows and startled them both. Aeneas flinched and then cringed at the pain that exploded up through his legs. It would take more than time to heal his wounds. Nikki spun and put her hands on her swords, but she did not draw them.

  His black robes had hidden him in the shadows, so when Hargon stepped out, it seemed as if he appeared straight from the darkness.

  “I have been looking for you, General Aeneas,” Hargon said.

  Aeneas stammered, “I am here, your Imperial Majesty.”

  Hargon’s face remained stoic. “I am no longer an emperor. I do not even know if Taran exists anymore. Just call me Hargon.”

  “If there is no more Taran, then I am just Aeneas.”

  Hargon’s handsome smile returned to his face. “Unlike you, my title was not earned, and it can be taken away. You have earned your title, General Aeneas. I have talked with the Balgoroth tribal leaders, and they spoke well of your courage and your skill.”

  “I was the leader of an army that was decimated. Maybe misplaced courage, but certainly not skill.”

  Hargon lifted an eyebrow. “You should take compliments more readily.”

  “You said you were looking for me?” Aeneas asked stiffly, continuing to feel uncomfortable with having a casual conversation with the person he only knew as an emperor.

  “Yes, I was. When I had heard there was another Taran around, I could not help but meet him. I saw you from across the courtyard and thought I would introduce myself before this big meeting we are about to have.”

  “Big meeting?”

  “You did not know?” Nikki asked. “All the leaders of the various peoples were called to a meeting in the castle’s great hall. You should have been invited.”

  “I am a nobody here,” Aeneas said.

  Nikki slapped him on the shoulder with an open hand. “Enough of this wallowing in your pity! Hargon, Aeneas was wounded by the Bargoroth and needs to be healed.”

  Hargon stepped forward, his hands lifted, but Aeneas stepped back.

  “It will not hurt.”

  Aeneas shook his head.

  “He thinks he does not deserve to be healed,” Nikki said.

  Hargon nodded his head knowingly. “We all have regrets. We all have many things in our lives that we would like to take back. When I was emperor, I thought I was a good man, but throughout the last year, I realized that I was not a very good person. Today, I may not be as good as Conner or Sir Marik, but I’m not the same selfish and arrogant man that I had been. That man grew and became who I am today. It is all those things that we have learned in our lives that make us who we are. If any decision, good or bad, is different, then we would be a different person. Maybe you could be better, but maybe you could also be worse. Do not let your past dictate your future. Your future is not yet written, so let it be whatever you want it to be. I can tell that you are a good man, for you have regrets. It would be the bad person that would look upon his past and think that he had always made the right decision. It takes courage to look deep into your soul and be willing to make changes.”

  Hargon took another step forward. “Taran may never exist again, but there were too many great things about Taran that should never be forgotten. Yes, we destroyed small kingdoms, taking their gold and other resources. We killed and pillaged when we should not have. But, we also built great libraries full of information from the past centuries of our existence. We had gladiatorial games where prisoners and slaves fought to the death, but we had many amphitheaters for staging plays. There were universities that taught our youth the sciences and mathematics. We had positioned ourselves to be the center of the world for the next millennia, and it all came crashing down around us. Maybe Taran will never grow to be what it was, but we can help make the world a better place by learning from Taran’s mistakes and also learning from her successes. Our new world will need compassionate and skilled leaders. Men and women who can learn from the past and grow for the future. I can see you being one of those.”

  Aenea’s mouth opened in surprise. He never would have expected a former emperor to give him such praise. Almost timidly, Aeneas replied, “But you don’t even know me.”

  Hargon reached out and took Aeneas’ hands. “I know enough.”

  Then Hargon closed his eyes and reached out his thoughts, feeling for the pain that Aeneas was feeling. He cringed as he felt what Aeneas’ felt. The pain in his wrists and ankles from nails being driven through them was nearly unbearable. There were broken bones that were starting to mend but would never fully heal because he refused to rest. If left on his own, Aeneas would limp for the rest of his life and might possibly catch some sort of infection from his partially healed wounds. It only took a single thought to pull the pain away and to begin to heal the bones and broken skin.

  Aeneas tried to pull his hands away as he felt a dull ache spread through his limbs, but Hargon held on tightly. Then, all the pain was gone. The dull aches and the sharp, piercing agony were gone. When Hargon released his hands, he looked down at them. Stretching his fingers and toes, he felt no pai
n, just a joyful comfort. He let a smile come to his lips.

  “Thank you, Hargon,” Aeneas said. “I thought I would never have another day of life without pain.”

  Hargon patted him firmly on the arm. “We will talk later. I think the meeting is about to start.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Aeneas said before Nikki could start walking off.

  Hargon noticed the look on Aeneas’ face, and he smiled, holding in a laugh. He pulled his robes tightly about his body and walked to the castle.

  “Should we not go?” Nikki asked.

  Aeneas held up his hand, showing his freshly healed pink skin to her. “Can you believe he healed me!”

  “I can. I think it’s what he does. Now, we should go before it starts.”

  “Okay,” Aeneas said. He took in a deep breath and let out quickly. “You’re heading back to Hurai?”

  Nikki tilted her head, surprised at the question. “Eventually. I think there is still much work to be done here.”

  “When you head back, I would hope that you would consider letting me come with you.”

  “Hurai is not Taran.”

  “I know that. That’s not what I’m looking for.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Something more than I’ve had. I’m old enough to know what I don’t want, yet young enough to still pine for what I want.”

  “That does not answer my question.”

  “You’re going to make me say it out loud?”

  Nikki laughed. “I think you should.”

  Aeneas dropped his eyes to the ground, and his cheeks flushed red. “I think I am smitten by you, Princess Nikki.”

  “Smitten is something for children.”

  Aeneas shook his head. “No. Even crusty old soldiers like me can be smitten.”

  “I am Sak’Hurai, committed solely to serving Hurai and my king.” Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled back at him. “But Sak’Hurai can be smitten, too.”